Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-22
A LIVING DEATH.
PECULIAR OUTCOME OF THE ENvI-
RoNMENTS OF OUR GREAT CITIES.


Victims Of Paralysis Dragging Their Feet
Along the Pavement-Patients who Are
a. Helpless a. New Born Infsnts-sad
Case Of Journalist.
On these sunny mornings, when the
atmosphere Is cool and bracing one sees
here and there on the streets a man crawl
ing along aided by a crutch or a cane
He is usually bent forward, his progress
is slow, difficult and painful His feet
drag with a shuttle on the surface of the
pavement. His hair is gray, although
his countenance may noi indicate more
than middle age. There are evidences Of
pain in his features. There are wrinkles
and contractions that are the cicatrices Of
wounds incurred in fierce life struggles.
The eyes express commingling OF weak
ness and despair. His shoulders droop,
and his entire figure has II baGginess sug-
gcstive of n collapse On his shrunken
irrs are hints of pleading helplessness
When he speaks it is with hesitation
.nd u mufyicd tone His utterances come
with difficulty; they are low, choked,
broken. His speech halts at short inter
u ~
Often he cannot find it, and frequently an
unwanted and strange term, wholly with
nut meaning, will thrust itself in the
hiatus. Possibly one arm bangles at his
side loose and limp as rope. Possibly ono
leg is dragged along as il it were foreign
body. Perhaps one side or the other Of
his mouth is drawn up with line that
.preads out fan shaped into a series OF
scar like shrinkages. His glance, like his
gait, is wabbling and uncertain. Over
his face is spread an expression that IL .
combination Of imbecility and hope. He
= an object with qualities so peculiar, 80
Idividualized, that one easily recognizes
him as the victim of some one OF the nu-
mcrous forms of paralysis.
These specimens taking the morning
air, assisted by cane or crutch and shuf-
ding along the sidewalk, are getting to be
\ frequent exhibition. Whether or not
characteristic of other points, they are
getting to he an increasing fea ure Of Chi
caSo.
The men who no longer cs.wl out to
catch the glow &nd warmth Of the sum-
msr sun are nerveless as new born chill
iren. Their limbs are inert as masses Of
-elatine. They are rowerless to move
their muscles, and have to be lifted,
turned, taken up and down like babes.
They must be fed, and the wants OF
nature cared for as if they were pulling
infants la the nurses arms.
This new disease il a PECULIAR outcome
II the environment OF our great cities.
The atmosphere Of this region is HAed with
u malaria which exhausts, prostrates,
paralyzes those whose ovcrworked lodies
are forced 10 iuhale it. Its victims are
not the old who have ched the allotted
span Of their life, nor those enfeebled by
age or heredity. but the men with active
brains, intense energy, boundless ambi-
ton and restless effort. II Is In the
nGsure OF a rot which affects not the
green, the immature, but the ripened
fruit. II attacks the men who labor by
day and dream Of work by night; 1t is q
sting whsh pierces not the drones, but
the workers in the human hives.
The idler slowly disiutegrates and dis
appears. He passes from a lethargic life
into death with as little consciousness and
suffering as attend the natural demise Of
. mollusk. He is IN implement that rusts
from disuse: the tireless brain worker IL
a machine, driven at n high rate OF speed,
with no stoppages for repairs, which car
.ieS tremendous pressure, aad some day
-x ololes and is blown into fragments.
over a quarter of h century ago there
came Q young man from an eastern state,
who in time located in Chicago. He was
'inely educated, ambitious, industrious,
ncrgctic and ready and willing to devote
iimse1 to any honorable employment.
tie soon secured a situation Is principal
f one of the public schools
.urther on he gave UP teaching and
connected himself with journalism. He
vas for several years valned ettache of
this journal, during which time he showed
himself capable, indefatigable, prompt,
sDd the possessor Of high orie. Of intel
.ect. OF a religious nature, he later &C.
crpted an offer to take charge OF promi-
nent denominational weekly issued in this
,iiy and became its chief writer and man.
aerial assistant, and for many years
'illed his place with credit to himself and
The periodical with which he was con-
0ected.
such was Leander Stone, principal OF n
public school, reporter on The Chicago
Times and afterward one Of the powers
that controlled the great Methodist jour-
nal, The Northwestern Christian Advo-
cate. The face and figure Of no man In
Chicago were better known than those Of
Leander Stone during AN these years.
4 few months ago, having just passed
into q ripe middle age and in the very
height Of his popularity and usefulness,
he felt one day a numbness in one Of his
arms. 1t extended slowly till the whole
arm was involved, and then it crept into
the other arm, and SO on and on, u little
at time, tai it had permeated and pos
sessed his entire limbs and torso. His
head alone escaped. The last time saw
hiHD, all below his neck was dead mass
30 far rs motion is concerned.
like one OF Daute's damned, he was
imprisoned in ice to his chin. And yet
the savage destiny that has thus impris
uncIl him did not have the mercy to de-
priye the iIIclosed mass Of sensation.
Along its nerves travel incessant poignant
pains, which are beyond reach and beyond
remedy. Strangely enough, in this gro
tcsque, unparalleled infection his head
aad face remain untouched. His brain is
rs clear rs in his palIniest intellectual
day, and he reads with his old avidity
anl thinks and reasons with his old time
clearness. ''Poliuto' in Chicago Times.